Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation
By Isaac Asimov
Illustrated by Gregory Manchess
Foreword by Brandon Sanderson
“At its very core, Foundation is about hope. That what was lost can rise again and be improved. Foundation is optimism in literary form. That’s something we’ll always need. And it is why I suspect this series will still be relevant in another seventy years. And maybe even some thirty thousand years from now.”
I’m proud to present Foundation, the first book in Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction trilogy. Set in a far future where humanity is spread across the galaxy under the rule of the Galactic Empire, it introduces the theory of “psychohistory”—a method of predicting the future of large populations using a combination of statistics, history, and sociology.
Acclaimed for its imaginative scope and exploration of themes like determinism, free will, and the cyclical nature of history, the trilogy has been highly influential in both literature and popular culture, winning the one-time Hugo Award for “Best All-Time Series” in 1966 and recently coming to life in spectacular fashion as an Apple TV series.
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Foundation ❦ Edition Information ❦ Collector’s Edition ❦ Deluxe Edition ❦ Lettered Edition ❦ Artwork ❦ Typography ❦ Printing ❦ Frequently Asked Questions
Foundation
In Foundation, book one of the trilogy, Hari Seldon uses psychohistory to predict the imminent collapse of the Galactic Empire and the onset of a 30,000-year dark age. In an effort to shorten this period to a mere 1,000 years, he oversees the establishment of the Foundation at the edge of the galaxy on the planet Terminus.
Over the course of five interrelated stories, we follow the Foundation’s rise to power through a series of strategic manipulations and crises, all the while facing a number of political, economic, and military challenges from neighbouring regions.
Foundation sets the stage for a grand experiment in guiding the future of humanity amidst the decline of the unimaginably vast Galactic Empire. Just as Asimov drew inspiration from Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, we too have explored the contrasting forces of creation and destruction, weaving these themes throughout all three volumes of the series.
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As always, the interiors have been thoughtfully designed with typefaces that were carefully selected specifically for this project, while the artwork was directed with the structure and nature of the story in mind.
All three states across the trilogy have been designed to offer a cohesive appearance on the shelf, with variations in colour, artwork, and other details to provide a distinct appearance for each book.
Together, the volumes of The Foundation Trilogy form a beautifully unified design, both inside and out, creating a landmark edition that is sure to stand the test of time.
Edition Information
Our edition of Foundation by Isaac Asimov is limited to 726 copies and is published in three states: Collector’s Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Lettered Edition.
Gregory Manchess has contributed 13 pieces of artwork and Brandon Sanderson has written a new, exclusive foreword to the edition.
All volumes are printed by Hand and Eye Letterpress and hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in England.
The books have a trim size of 170mm by 240mm (6.7in by 9.5in) and 275 pages. All copies include a ribbon marker and head and tail bands. I’ve set the text in Klim Type Foundry’s Martina Plantijn, The Future, and The Future Mono.
As with every Conversation Tree Press book, you can expect:
- All colour artwork reproduced in full colour across all editions.
- All artwork included in every state.
- A limited edition that will never be reprinted.
- A custom, handmade slipcase or other enclosure made of thick, sturdy boards with the insides lined in Suedel for maximum protection, at no additional cost.
Collector’s Edition:
The Collector’s Edition is limited to 450 unnumbered copies hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in Shropshire, England. PRE-ORDER NOW
Gregory Manchess has created an epic panoramic painting divided into four panels, which are used to allow the narrative to unfold seamlessly across all three books in the trilogy. The first two panels are used for Foundation, the second and third will be used for Foundation and Empire, and the third and fourth for Second Foundation, as illustrated below:
The third and fourth panels, partially hidden using Greg’s initial concept sketch, will be fully revealed as books 2 and 3 are released, respectively.
The painting has been reproduced via UV printing on premium linen book cloth with the title and Galactic Empire emblem foil stamped in silver on the spine.
The book is letterpress-printed on Munken Pure Rough Cream 120gsm (80lb) paper manufactured at the Munkedal Mill in Sweden. The endpapers are gunmetal coloured paper with a smooth, metallic look from GF Smith.
It is enclosed in a slipcase hand made of sturdy boards wrapped in a coated linen fabric that has an elegant feel and a captivatingly beautiful glitter effect. The insides are lined in soft Suedel for maximum protection.
Collector’s Edition are unnumbered and come with rights to Foundation and Empire.
US$275. Shipping is expected in Q2 2025.
Deluxe Edition
Availability:
1. Tuesday, August 27th at 10am ET: Pre-orders for copies #1-150 for collectors with rights from The House on the Borderland & Others.
2. Thursday August 29th at 12pm ET: Unclaimed copies between #1-150, and copies #151-250 for those collectors who joined the waitlist in January 2024.
3. Friday August 30th at 12pm ET: Any remaining copies available to the public.
The Deluxe Edition, limited to 250 hand-numbered copies and hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders, features treatments typically reserved for our Lettered-tier editions.
The book is Bradel bound with a metallic cloth spine and custom hand marbled paper boards from Freya Scott at Paperwilds, meant to evoke the beauty and chaos of space. The author, artist, title and Galactic Empire emblem are foil stamped in gold on the spine, along with a single dot indicating the first book in the series.
The book is housed in a custom solander box lined in Suedel and wrapped in the same material as the spine while the tray is covered in black linen cloth. The spine of the solander has the same treatment as the book, with a 100% brass medallion of the Galactic Empire emblem inset instead of stamped.
The materials, binding style and marbled paper pattern will remain the same for the second and third books while the colours will change.
The edition is letterpress-printed on upgraded 100% cotton Magnani Pescia 130gsm (88lb) mould made paper. The endpapers are a tanzanite coloured paper with an embossed texture and a metallic sheen, from GF Smith, and the top edge is gilded.
All copies of the Deluxe Edition offer rights to Foundation and Empire when it is published, and these rights are transferable. Only copies #1-150 offer rights to the next book from the Press—Solaris—and these rights are not transferable.
US$775. Shipping is expected in Q2 2025.
Lettered
Availability:
1. Tuesday August 27th at 10pm ET: Copies available to Lettered rights holders.
2. Friday August 30th at 12pm ET: Any remaining copies available for sale via public lottery.
The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies inscribed A to Z. It is hand bound by Ludlow Bookbinders in handmade Cave Paper from Zoë Goehring and the finest vellum from William Cowely in the UK, who have been making vellum since 1870 using time-honoured methods largely unchanged for centuries.
In the The Foundation Trilogy, atomic energy represents the peak of scientific achievement and serves as a barometer for civilization’s rise and fall.
The Galactic Empire’s decline is marked by its failure to maintain and advance atomic technology, symbolizing a loss of knowledge and authority. In contrast, the Foundation’s ability to preserve and innovate with atomic energy underscores its role as a beacon of progress.
This contrast between the Empire’s decline and the Foundation’s advancement reflects the central theme of progress versus decline that runs throughout the trilogy.
The binding of the Lettered Edition embodies that tension by featuring a half-life decay curve, which illustrates the exponential decay of radioactive matter produced during the generation of atomic energy.
One side represents the chaos of the Empire’s decline, symbolized by the dark blue, textured Cave Paper, while the other embodies order and progress, represented by pristine vellum. The line between them, foil stamped in gold, not only charts the Empire’s downfall in one direction and the Foundation’s ascent in the other, it also serves as a literal divider between those two opposing forces.
The top edge has been carefully hand coloured in two separate passes with blue and black acrylic inks, before being lightly hand sprinkled using a fine brush with a silver acrylic ink.
The edition is letterpress-printed on thick, upgraded mould made Liber Charta 170gsm (115lb) paper and the endpapers are custom hand marbled paper by Freya Scott.
Each copy includes an original piece of artwork from Gregory Manchess bound into the book, one of which is shown above.
The book is housed in a fold-out enclosure, the most complex that we’ve made thus far for any book, and wrapped in blue and ivory coloured cloths with the front sections mirroring the Cave Paper and vellum areas of the book. A gutter between the flaps on the front reveals a gold line that mirrors the gold foil stamping on the book below while the insides are lined in Suedel.
The Lettered Editions of books two and three will also incorporate the same half life decay curve, but offset in such a way that when the spines of all three books are placed beside each other, the curve is continuous. While vellum will be used on one side of the curve for all three books, different materials are planned for the other sides on books two and three.
Each copy is signed by Gregory Manchess, the illustrator; Phil Abel and Robert Hetherington, the printers; and Phil Parkins, Production Director at Ludlow Bookbinders.
All copies of the Lettered Edition offer rights to Foundation and Empire, which are transferable, and to the next book from the Press—Solaris—which are not transferable.
US$2,895. Shipping is expected in Q2 2025.
Artwork
All copies include five landscape paintings by Gregory Manchess that beautifully bring Asimov’s world to life, one for each of the stories. Each piece of artwork is carefully tipped in by hand as fold-out pieces of artwork.
There are also seven full page character portraits in pen and ink that are printed letterpress.
The cover artwork for the Collector’s Edition will be included as tipped in artwork for the Deluxe and Lettered.
Typography
I’ve typeset the The Foundation Trilogy in three typefaces from the renowned Klim Type Foundry in New Zealand.
The main body text is set in Martina Plantijn, a modern reinterpretation of the classic Plantin typeface that preserves the essence and utility of the original while improving and rebalancing it for enchanced readability.
The Future is a tribute to Paul Renner’s iconic Futura, carefully crafted from the original design sketches. It faithfully captures Futura’s geometric structure and avant-garde elements and is used for headings throughout.
The Future Mono, which reimagines Futura as a typewriter font with a retro-futuristic look, is the “eccentric cousin” to The Future and has been used for all Encyclopedia Galactica entries.
Together, these typefaces create a harmonious blend of past and future. Martina Plantijn brings a refined sense of tradition to the body text, while The Future adds a modern, avant-garde flair to the headings. The Future Mono, with its retro-futuristic style, adds a hint of nostalgia to the Encyclopedia Galactica entries. The combination of classic and contemporary styles reflects the timeless themes of Foundation, bridging the gap between history and the future.
Printing
We are proud to be collaborating once more with Phil Abel and the team at Hand and Eye Letterpress, who previously printed our edition of Flowers for Algernon and is currently hard at work on The House on the Borderland & Others. Hand and Eye has a distinguished history of not only letterpress-printing their own editions, but collaborating with Folio Society, No Reply Press, Lyra’s Books, and, of course, with Marcelo Anciano on their very own Areté Editions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQ has been updated to reflect that Collector’s Editions will include rights to subsequent books in the series. This means all copies of Foundation will have transferable rights to Foundation and Empire.
When will the other two books be published?
Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation will be published in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Will all three books be printed letterpress?
Yes, all three books will be printed letterpress.
Are the Collector’s Editions books numbered?
No, the Collector’s Editions are not numbered. The Deluxe books are numbered and the 26 Lettered books are inscribed A-Z.
How many Lettered books will there be?
There are going to be 26 Lettered books and this number will not change.
Will there be second printings?
No, there will be no second printings of any state of any of the three books.
Can limitations increase for a particular state after pre-orders open?
No, the limitation for the Collector’s and Deluxe Editions are set and will not be increased. The limitation for the Lettered state is already set to 26 copies and will also not be increased.
Do the different states—Collector’s, Deluxe and Lettered—include different artwork?
Every state includes all of Gregory’s line artwork printed letterpress and oil paintings reproduced in full colour.
Are slipcases or enclosures included with the book or will they need to be purchased separately?
Slipcases and other enclosures are included at no additional cost.
Will these editions be signed?
Gregory Manchess will be signing all copies. Brandon Sanderson will not.
What are ‘rights’?
Having ‘rights’ means that you will have the first right of refusal to purchase the next title published by the Press during a private pre-order window that is only available to rights-holders. Rights-holders who purchase the next published book will have their number or letter matched with the previous book.
For example: if you own the Deluxe #110 of Foundation, you will receive an email with a private link to order Foundation and Empire when it is open for pre-order, and we will ensure your number matches.
Which books will have rights?
All copies of Foundation—Collector’s, Deluxe, and Lettered—will have rights to purchase a copy of Foundation and Empire during a private pre-order period when the second volume in the trilogy is ready, with numbers and letters matched. Likewise, every collector who purchases any copy of Foundation and Empire will have rights to purchase a copy of Second Foundation when it is ready.
Note: Rights are transferable for all three States.
Will The Foundation Trilogy have its own rights track?
Yes, all copies of Foundation will give rights to Foundation and Empire, which will in turn give rights to Second Foundation.
This means everyone who purchases a copy of Foundation will have access to a private preorder period to purchase a copy of the second book, and likewise for the third. Numbers and Letters will be matched (Collector’s Editions are unnumbered).
Collectors will not have to purchase the other non-Foundation books published between Foundation and Foundation and Empire, or between Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation, to retain those rights.
Are rights transferable?
Because this is a trilogy, we will, for the first time, we will facilitate the transfer of rights for all books.
Will I have to buy the books published between Foundation and Foundation and Empire to keep my rights?
No, because it is a trilogy, if you buy Foundation and skip the subsequent books published by the Press, you will still have rights to a matching copy of Foundation and Empire when it opens for pre-order.
Will you be publishing the other Foundation books?
We only have plans to publish the original Foundation Trilogy at this time.